A Fool's Errand
by Deppster34
Summary: Jack's crew recruits an assassin to help him escape the noose and she ends up helping them find an ancient treasure along with her past. JOC.
1. Chapter One: The Dauntless

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC, though I wish I did  
  
Chapter One: The Dauntless  
  
"Bit closer, bit closer! That's it, it's jest ye and ol' Jack...again," Jack Sparrow muttered, trying to coax the keys to come just a few more feet closer to his cell in Port Royal, where he was being held prisoner yet again. And just like his last imprisonment, noises coming from the stairs scared the dog with the keys into running off again, taking Jack's only chance of survival with him. Cursing his bad luck, Jack got off the floor to see who his visitor was this time, praying it wasn't anyone like the last. He was greeted with a guard with a very noticeable reddening hand mark on his left cheek and Will and Elizabeth Turner, who was beginning to show her pregnancy at around 4 months, give or take. This greeting, however, was not a very welcoming one. For starters, Elizabeth was furious and seemed to have taken some of the anger out on the guard for trying to keep a lady from scum like pirates.  
  
"Jack Sparrow! Just what do you think you are doing? Are you absolutely mad? I cannot believe you! I know that you are far from subtle, but I mean honestly, do you always blow up a ship whenever you come to port?" Elizabeth ranted.  
  
Will, who was over the initial shock of Jack blowing up the Dauntless in the middle of the night (which wasn't really that hard for him to accept, knowing Jack), placed a steadying hand on his wife's back. He had already set a plan in motion to get Jack out of his hanging tomorrow at dusk.  
  
"Well darling, allow me explain meself," Jack started, cutting off Elizabeth who was breathing in deeply to start her yelling again. "I knew the only way to get into Port Royal ever again was to come at night when I can't be seen by anyone. I need'd to get on the Dauntless because there was a very important map that I need'd to... borrow. Savvy?"  
  
"No, not 'savvy' Jack! How in the hell did you manage to blow the bloody ship up! You're lucky nobody was on it," screamed Elizabeth, still fuming.  
  
"I was gettin' to that, let me finish." When Jack was sure there was going to be no outbursts from her, he continued. "I get on the ship, it's dark an' I can't see, so I light a candle or two. While I was searchin' for the map, I mustve knocked over a candle an'... well to sum it up the maps were stored near the gunpowder an' I had jest enough time to get off the ship with me map and run straight into the Commodore himself, apparently patrolling the area. I began to explain meself when suddenly," Jack threw his arms up in the air over his head; "there was an explosion. Water everywhere! I think a block o' wood hit a soldier on th' head – knock'd 'im right out. I turn 'round, no more Dauntless." Jack finished, lowering his arms. "Fireworks 'ere spectacular, though." Jack added, after he received blank stares coming from his audience.  
  
Elizabeth was about to start again with her ranting, but Will stopped her before she could start, "Elizabeth, why don't you go back home and settle down, all this excitement cannot be good for the baby." With that thought in mind, she agreed, glared at Jack once more and kissed Will good-bye before ascending the stairs.  
  
Once she was gone, Will whipped around to face Jack and spoke loudly so the guard would not become suspicious, "Don't worry about her. She cried this morning because her toast was brown, not golden brown." His voice dropped to a whisper so the guard at the top of the stairs couldn't hear: "Alright, here's the plan. Right after the explosion I saw Gibbs about to row back to the Pearl. He explained to me what happened, that you blew the ship up and got caught, so I told him to get help from an old friend that lives in La Paz – by dawn they should be there, it's not far. If she can't help you, no one can," he finished, glancing around to make sure there were still no guards.  
  
"She?" Jack asked, "Who is 'she'?"  
  
Will looked shocked he forgot to tell Jack her name. "Oh I bet you've heard of her-" but was cut short when Commodore Norrington came down the stairs, hands clasped behind his back.  
  
"Mr. Turner, you've had enough time to speak with Mr. Sparrow for the night. Whatever else has to be said before his death can certainly wait until the morning. Your wife would be wanting to know you're safe." He spat the last part.  
  
Will nodded coldly, said his goodnights to Jack, and left. Norrington was about to follow when Jack spoke:  
  
"Ye know I could'n say it enough, mate, tha' I'm dreadfully sorry to hav' blown yer boat up – ship!" Jack corrected himself under Norrington's steely glare.  
  
"Mr. Sparrow-"  
  
"Captain... if ye please," Jack said looking up from picking dirt out from under a fingernail and leaning up against the cell door.  
  
"Mr. Sparrow, what were your intentions on the Dauntless earlier tonight?"  
  
"Me intentions? Oh, I had no intentions a' all. I was jest very drunk an' did'n realize where I was goin' 'til I got there, as it were," was Jack's response which he silently prided himself on his spectacular lying skills. However good at lying Jack was, he decided the less he said the better at the moment.  
  
"What were your intentions in the town of Port Royal then, Sparrow?" asked the Commodore, getting impatient at how laidback Jack was being considering his death was less than 24 hours away.  
  
"Oh, jest comin' to visit a couple o' me friends," was Jack's lame excuse, and the Commodore started picking up on his lies. It seemed the more relaxed Jack was acting, the worse he was at producing lies. Norrington, not seeing Jack's relaxed state for that reason, but seeing it as he must have another one of his miraculous escapes planned, made a mental note to add more security to the hanging tomorrow.  
  
"Oh, I see now! Well doesn't that make sense," said Norrington sarcastically, though Jack couldn't tell what he was up to. He smiled brightly, frowned, then smiled again, unsure of how to look innocent, seeing as he rarely was. Norrington started to slowly pace outside Jack's cell. "Then why, may I ask, are you arriving so late at night? Surely, Mr. and Mrs. Turner were not expecting you, seeing as all the light was out in their house when my men and I were patrolling." Norrington finished, positive he had Jack with his last question.  
  
"I came earlier than expected an' was jest goin' to wait 'til morning. Got a bit lost." Jack paused, and then grinned. "Still sore tha' Will got the girl, eh mate?" came Jack's smooth response with a grin that made Norrington want to wipe it off his filthy face.  
  
The reaction from Norrington was what Jack had hoped: "Goodnight, Mr. Sparrow. Pleasant dreams, for they will be your last." And with that he turned sharply, hands clasped behind him again, and left the prison.  
  
Thankful that the Commodore had left before he thought of anymore clever questions to ask him, Jack decided that all he could do now was wait until morning when Will would be back to finish telling him who his rescuer would be and find out how he was exactly going to get out of yet another hanging in Port Royal.  
  
His last thoughts before drifting off to sleep were along the lines of 'I 'ope they rem'mber 'Cap'n' tomorrow...'  
  
********************************* A/N: Please please please please please PLEASE review or else I don't know if I should keep on writing bc if no one likes it then whats the point right? Please let me know what you think! 


	2. Chapter Two: La Paz

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC  
  
Chapter Two: La Paz  
  
The crew of The Black Pearl came into the port of La Paz shortly after dawn the same morning Jack blew up The Dauntless. Deciding that they needed to act as quickly as possible, Gibbs and Anamaria went into town together while the rest of the crew stayed behind on the Pearl so they could get ready to make way as soon as they came back.  
  
"Well, gett'n to port was easy 'nough, now we haveta find th' wench," Gibbs stated as he and Anamaria took in their surroundings in a meek attempt to hope that there was a big sign that pointed them to a female paid killer.  
  
Anamaria glared at Gibbs' comment, but let it go this time, "Maybe we should find th' local pub – not to drink," Ana quickly added when she saw Gibbs' hopeful look, "but to ask th' drunks for 'er whereabouts because they do'n know what they be sayin'," She finished.  
  
They found the pub quickly enough, and noticed immediately that the only people in there were either passed out from the night before or cleaning up the messes from the brawls from the night before. Deciding to take a chance on a conscious person, Gibbs walked up to a barmaid, "'scuse me, miss, but I was wonderin' if ye know th' whereabouts of a woman nam'd Rachel Finch?" he asked politely.  
  
The girl let a look of shock come across her face, but she recovered quickly, saying "Sorry, never heard of 'er." And with that turned back around to the bar, trying to escape the questions. The first thing Gibbs and Anamaria noticed was that she had an interesting accent, part Cockney and part cultured British; it was an American accent, which was very rare, especially around these parts. People in America did not leave, unless there was a very good reason to be leaving.  
  
Ana followed the girl to the bar and continued her persuading, "Do'n get me wrong, I ain't no officer comin' to arrest 'er, I am, in fact, lookin' for 'er services." The girl kept on going around the bar picking up and acting like the two pirates weren't there anymore. "Please miss, me friend's life's in danger, I need yer help," Gibbs pleaded with her, trying his hardest to find this woman.  
  
The barmaid paused, turned around with a mug and cloth in her hand, and said, "Alright, I'll help you. Just give me a minute." She turned back towards the bar to put down the mug and cloth and wiped her hands on her maroon dress that matched nicely with her chestnut brown hair. She turned back to them.  
  
"Follow me, I don't want anyone to hear us," she beckoned them to the back hallway and into the first door on the left. The room was a decent size, with a nice bed, dresser, and desk. On the desk there appeared to be maps and quills lying around, and at the foot of the bed was a good sized trunk clasped closed.  
  
She pulled out two chairs and she herself sat at the chair that went with the desk. Once the pirates sat down, she asked, "What is it you two need?"  
  
They looked a bit taken aback, realizing that this must be the woman they were looking for. But just to make sure... "So, yer Miss. Finch, then?"  
  
"Yes, what is it you want?" she asked again, a little impatiently.  
  
"Well, this is what happened," Ana began the tale of their Captain who needed to "borrow" a map and ended up causing a ship to explode in the middle of the night in a town that doesn't exactly take kindly to pirates. "..an' I know this be short notice, but if ye could give us an answer as fast as possible, we would be very much obliged, seein' as his hangin' is tonight and all." Ana finished.  
  
Gibbs spoke up, "An' o' course, we'd pay ye, but lately we have'n any plunder because we be focusin' on gettin' th' bigger prize – th' Treasure of th' Mayans. Once we get our Cap'n back, he'll take us ther and ye can 'ave a share in th' treasure. What say you?"  
  
"Who is your Captain?" Rachel asked.  
  
Feeling foolish that neither of them had thought of telling her the name of the person she was to rescue, they both said in unison, "Cap'n Jack Sparrow."  
  
Rachel thought about it, and just to confirm it, asked, "The Treasure of the Mayans, you say?"  
  
"Aye," came the response.  
  
"Alright, I'll do it." Ana and Gibbs jumped up out of their chairs, eager to get back to Port Royal. "Let's not waste any more time and leave now, will you help me with my trunk?" she asked, grabbing things off her desk and shoving them into a pack. When she looked up, Ana and Gibbs were already out the door, carrying her trunk with them.  
  
******  
  
It was about noon and the crew and Rachel had just finished eating lunch, although no one seemed to be that hungry out of nerves. Rachel tried to set their minds at ease by telling them of her past jobs and that she came highly recommended, but it wasn't until later that she realized the crew was probably uneasy because she was, in fact, an assassin, a cold-blooded killer, hired to save their captain, and in the meanwhile, sleeping on the same ship with them. It took a while for them to get used to the idea, but about when they were about one hour away from Port Royal, as they listened to her jokes and helped out on deck even though she wasn't expected to, did they then begin to think of her as anyone else.  
  
"Mr. Gibbs," Rachel began, "if you don't mind me asking, why did you choose me to save your captain? I'm an assassin, the fields of killin' and savin' are very far apart."  
  
"Ye know William Turner?" Gibbs asked, not taking his eyes from the horizon and adjusted the course of the Pearl.  
  
"Yes, I know Will. When I was coming from America, he and I traveled on the same ship to the Caribbean. I had to switch ships half-way through the voyage because the first one I was on didn' go all the way to the Caribbean, so I got on a ship comin' from England, and that's when I met him. Why?"  
  
"He recommend'd ye. Said if ye could'n save Jack, no one could,"  
  
Rachel smiled. "Well, that was nice of him to remember me. Haven't seen him in... 2 years now. How is he?"  
  
"Marri'd an' soon to be expectin' a little one from th' wife. Name's Elizabeth. Very nice lass, got a sharp tongue, tha' one."  
  
Rachel looked relieved, "Oh, I'm so happy for him. Don't tell him this, but for a while I kind of thought he was... what would be the term... a eunuch." Gibbs laughed out loud when she said that, and Rachel grinned, "Do not tell him that, Mr. Gibbs, or I will have your hide!" she joked.  
  
"Do'n worry lass, I wo'n. I jest think it funny because Jack said th' same thing! Speakin' of Jack," Gibbs turned serious, "do ye really think ye can get 'im outta there?"  
  
"No worries, I'll think of somethin' once I see what this place is like, the surroundin's and such. I'll get Captain Sparrow out of there if I have to shoot every last man in tha' town, because I said I would save him, and I keep to my word. All you and your crew 'ave to do is stay hidden and keep a sharp eye for us so we can start to make way as quickly as possible." Rachel stated firmly. Gibbs noticed that the longer she spoke, the more her talk became  
  
"S'pose tha's why Will recommend'd ye," Gibbs said with a chuckle.  
  
******  
  
After changing out of her dress and into a white blouse, dark trousers, Ana adding 2 cutlasses and a revolver to her leather belt that she got from her trunk that was placed in the captain's quarters, she and Gibbs began rowing to shore. Gibbs showed Rachel where the hanging would take place and where the governor and the commodore would be. As Rachel took a good look at the place and spotting a cliff that would probably serve as their passage to freedom, Gibbs continued to talk, "..Will can'n come to Jack's rescue because he says the'll be watchin' 'im closely on account of 'im savin' Jack last time."  
  
"Mmhmm," Rachel mumbled, only half listening, "Why don't you get back to the Pearl, I think I've got a plan..."  
  
********** Same deal as last time please – I don't know if I should keep writing unless u tell me to so PLEASE review for me? Thanks much! 


	3. Chapter Three: Dusk

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC  
  
Chapter Three: Dusk  
  
It was reaching dusk when Will came rushing down the stairs to Jack's cell. Unfortunately this time, there were two guards in the basement including two at the top of the stairs. It seemed that Norrington was making sure this time that there were no miraculous escapes and had raised the security all over the port.  
  
Will cleared his throat, "How are you feeling, Jack? Religious?"  
  
Jack frowned, obviously confused by his last comment. "Are you mockin' me?"  
  
Will rolled his eyes, trying to somehow explain to the pirate his escape plan without letting the guards catch on. "Have you thought about what your last words are going to be...?" Will tried again.  
  
"What in th' bloody 'ell are ye talkin' about?" asked Jack, getting short in temper seeing as it was getting very close to his time of his hanging and there was no sign of Will's trusty friend and his own crew.  
  
Will sighed, deciding it was useless trying to explain to Jack the plan Rachel told him earlier that day when she came into his blacksmith's shop looking to get her two cutlasses sharpened and not expecting to come across an old friend. Once she and Will figured out who one another was, she hastily explained to him her last minute plan while he sharpened her swords.  
  
"Nevermind, Jack," Will sighed, giving up.  
  
The two talked for a while more so it seemed to the guards that they were saying their last words to one another before Jack's fate. Then Will left the prison to go get a hold of Elizabeth (who had not been informed of Jack's escape plan, seeing as she was too emotional with the baby inside her as it was) and head for the gallows, leaving Jack all alone.  
  
******  
  
About one hour after Will left, Norrington came down to Jack's cell with 7 or 8 men trailing behind him uniformly.  
  
"Gillette," Norrington spoke, "Open Mr. Sparrow's cell and tie his arms behind his back."  
  
Gillette did so with the help of 2 other men to make sure Jack cooperated. When he was all tied up, Jack was escorted out of the cell by the two men who entered with Gillette.  
  
The men led Jack out into the sunshine, which he hadn't seen properly in a long time, so it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the beautiful Caribbean day. He paused, gently pulling on the ropes, testing their strength. 'Bloody 'ell,' he thought, 'Will better 'ave thought up a good plan...'  
  
'Wonderful day for a hangin',' Jack thought bitterly.  
  
The two guards, each holding one of his arms, led him up to the gallows where what looked like over 100 people turned up to see the hanging of the infamous Jack Sparrow, and some secretly wishing to witness another escape attempt from said captain.  
  
On the deck of the gallows were three men: the commodore, the governor, and the executioner.  
  
As the guards placed Jack's head through the noose and had him stand above the door in the boards that would allow Jack to plunge to his death, he turned to Norrington.  
  
"I'm surprised, mate. I jest assumed tha' ye were goin' to pull th' lever yerself this time." Jack said sarcastically with a grin. Always witty 'til the very end.  
  
Norrington did not seem fazed at all by Jack's snide comment, he was just happy that he finally had Captain Jack Sparrow and he was going to make sure that there would be nothing to interrupt like last time. Will and Elizabeth were being held under very close supervision. In fact, he so wanted to make sure that the execution of his nemesis was done correctly that he and the governor would stand on the gallows deck right until the last minute, just in case anyone decided to try something rash, when they would step off and watch the spectacle.  
  
Before Gillette would read off all of the crimes that he had committed, it was tradition for there to be a religious reverend, nun, priest... any figure of that sort, to pray for Jack and to listen to his last words. A young nun dressed in the traditional habit seemed a bit loose on her, especially in the sleeves, walked slowly up the gallows steps, escorted by Norrington, with a bible in one hand and what seemed to be a metal crucifix in the other.  
  
The Commedore released her in front of Jack and turned away politely, just for show, not out of respect for Jack, and the woman cleared her throat. As she looked for a passage in her bible, Jack could have sworn she had just winked at him! To think! A nun, about to hear Jack's last words, was flirting with him! He didn't know whether to laugh or to find it greatly disturbing.  
  
Then in a flash, he instantly caught on to Will's strange behavior before in the cells and now this young woman standing before him winking at him.  
  
And just in time, too.  
  
The nun had come to a page in her bible where it was hollowed out for her pistol to lay, and in a blink of an eye threw off her fake nun habit, revealing that she was wearing a white blouse, dark trousers, and 2 swords attached to her belt. She swerved around to face the crowd with a pistol in her right hand, and the metal crucifix had been flipped around in her left hand so she now held the cross, and at the other end was a blade.  
  
Before anybody could comprehend what was going on, she grabbed Norrington by the shoulders, bringing him to stand right in front of her and held the crucifix blade at his throat, preventing him from moving and also keeping the guards from trying anything tricky.  
  
"Alrigh', everybody listen up!" she yelled out to the crowd, "Anybody who feels the need to try to save th' day will end up six feet under along with yer Commodore, got it?"  
  
Nobody moved or spoke; everybody was in shock for two reasons, one being that she was a woman, and also for some because they recognized who she was and wondering why a wanted assassin would be saving a pirate captain from a hanging.  
  
Rachel shifted her gaze slightly to the governor and the executioner, and aimed her pistol at them. "Governor, would ye be so kind as to release Captain Sparrow?" she asked as sweetly as she could, hoping against hope that she wouldn't have to kill this man.  
  
The governor shook his head fiercely, refusing to budge.  
  
"Please release him?" she tried again, keeping a tight hold on her knife against the Commodore's throat.  
  
Governor Swann repeated the same head gesture, and with that Rachel cocked her pistol. "Don't make me shoot you," she said quietly and much more seriously.  
  
Jack could tell that she would not allow this man to stand before her and refuse a command, and he couldn't let the father of one of his best friends to be shot out of his own sake.  
  
"No! Do'n shoot 'im!" Jack said, "He's Will's father-in-law," he spoke lowly so no one else could hear the last part.  
  
She sighed and adjusted her aim from the governor to the right side of the Commodore's head. Once her pistol was in place, she removed the knife from his throat which she unknowingly cut, but it was just a flesh wound. The crowd could see some blood trickling down his throat, staining this pressed white shirt.  
  
Taking the knife, she and the commodore stepped backwards two feet so that she could get closer to Jack's tied hands. She reached behind him with her left hand and knife blindly so that he could take the knife and free himself, which is exactly what he did.  
  
Rachel stepped forward back to where she was originally standing and waited patiently for Jack to free himself of the rope, continuously looking around intensely to make sure no guards were trying to make their way up and catch her unawares.  
  
Once Jack was free, he reached forward to her belt and grabbed one of the swords. When she felt the pressure at her waist, signaling that Jack was ready to go, she pushed Norrington forward into the crowd and exchanged weapons: pistol for sword.  
  
And with that, Jack and Rachel ran like hell.  
  
Knowing that the guards were right on their heels as they ran for the famous escape cliff, the two turned around, swords flashing in the setting sun, and began to fight.  
  
There were about 7 or 8 of them against 2. The first one reached Rachel and she blocked a blow aiming for her throat, and blocked another aiming to stab her in the stomach.  
  
Meanwhile, Jack parried with the second guard, but could tell that the others were becoming increasingly close and could not take the time to fight squarely with just one man. The first chance he got, he raised the hilt of his sword up and hit the man on the back of the head, knocking him out cold.  
  
One down, 6 more to go.  
  
Rachel had just finished with her first guard, knocking the sword easily out of his hand and using her left hook to punch him across the face, causing him to black out.  
  
As she and Jack took care of two more guards with ease, she could see that reinforcements were coming.  
  
She ran over to where Jack and the last guard were fighting, and in unison, he and Rachel each planted a foot on the man's chest, sending him reeling backwards and stumbling down the steps. It was then that Jack saw the 20 or so guards not 30 yards away.  
  
Rachel twirled around and grabbed Jack across the shoulders, causing him to turn as well, and they both ran towards the ledge of the cliff. She grabbed his hand right before they made the plunge.  
  
As they fell, Rachel did not let go of his arm for fear of one of them getting lost in the deep water. They hit the water with such force that it sent them all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. Once there was solid ground underneath them, they pushed with all their might to rise back to the surface.  
  
Jack and Rachel rose from the water sputtering. Before Jack could ask where to go next now that they were in the water, she already had the answer.  
  
"Captain Sparrow," she said with a grin, "Your Pearl awaits ye."  
  
He looked over to his left to see his ship slowly sailing forward to greet them from behind yet another great cliff, and they swam as fast as the could towards it before the Navy beat them to it, although it was useless at this point because the sun was almost set and the Pearl would be lost in the darkness.  
  
******  
  
Guys please review or I wont know if u like it or not and then ill stop posting it bc ill just assume you don't like it – so pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease review! And thanks to my reviewers so far – u guys rock! Thanks for reading! 


	4. Chapter Four: Rachel Meets Captain Jack

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC  
  
Chapter Four: Rachel Meets Captain Jack  
  
The Caribbean waters were freezing when night fell, a drastic change from the daytime when the water was so warm.  
  
When Rachel and Jack reached the Pearl, there were already two lines of rope waiting for each of them to be swung up on deck. They both grabbed hold of a rope and yelled to the crew to pull them up. They flew through the air so fast that Rachel secretly thanked God that she was just able to hold on, and they landed quite ungracefully on the deck, having to be helped up by the crew.  
  
Gibbs and Anamaria placed blankets around their shivering bodies, but the minute Jack was up he was shouting orders to the crew to make way and made his way up the to the helm to steer his beloved ship once again.  
  
At first, Rachel was unsure what to do until Jack called to her.  
  
"Lass! Come up 'ere a moment," Jack called, trying not to let his eyes stray too much from his work.  
  
Rachel walked up the steps, and before she could speak, Jack did.  
  
"Are ye Miss Rachel Finch?" he asked, finally taking a moment to look her in the eye to find that her eyes were almost the same color as his own.  
  
"Aye, I am. How did you know?" she replied, for the first time taking in all of the oddities of Jack Sparrow: the hair jewelry, the dreadlocks, the clothes, and most noticeably his kohl-rimmed eyes, meant to keep the sun out of them.  
  
"I 'eard someone in th' crowd back at Port Royal say yer name," he said nonchalantly, his own gaze now taking in her own character, a little bit more noticeably than she had done to him moments before.  
  
"Oh," was the only response she could come up with, gripping the blanket tighter around her as a cool breeze blew through the air. It did not seem to be that big of a deal; she had made a pretty big name for herself in the past 12 years of her life. The thought that someone had recognized her by just looking at her was a little disconcerting and she put it in the back of her mind, disregarding it until later that night.  
  
"'ow much did me crew offer ye?"  
  
Before she could answer, she was once again stopped short, this time by Gibbs, who came up to join them at the helm.  
  
"Since we haven't much plunder lately, I offer'd 'er a share in th' treasure tha' we be goin' after, Cap'n." Gibbs said a little uneasily, hoping that Jack wouldn't get angry at sharing their plunder without his consent.  
  
"Did ye now?" Jack murmured, his gaze never leaving Rachel, which was starting to make her a little uncomfortable despite her strong outer layer.  
  
A thought dawned on her while Gibbs told Jack about her payment: 'These are pirates I'm dealing with. If they start to see me as a threat to come between them and their plunder, they could turn on me. I need for them to trust me one hundred percent.' She thought to herself. Jack's voice broke her thoughts.  
  
"Well, I s'pose tha' we should go an' discuss yer share o' th' treasure, eh?" Jack said, snapping out of his daze and began to secure the course of the ship. "Gibbs, 'ave th' crew finish their duties before th' night's out and send 'em off to their quarters. Miss Finch, if ye would follow me." And with that, he turned and swaggered off below deck to his cabin. Rachel followed him, in very alert. No matter if she had just saved his life, he was still a pirate and he could try anything. 'I should know,' she thought to herself.  
  
Jack sat at his desk and she sat in a chair opposite it. It was Jack who first spoke, and rather quickly.  
  
"I sincerely want'd t' thank ye for doin' what ye did, espec'lly on such short notice, as Will told me. I was actually very surprised tha' ye came at all, I know I wouldn' drop wha' I was doin' to go off an' save some scallywag like meself. I owe ye one," he said with a sly grin coming across his face, trying to cover up that he didn't want to come off weaker than he already looked in his mind: a woman had to save him. Him! Captain Jack Sparrow!  
  
At his smirk, Rachel's defense quickly rose up, remembering that a grin like that could mean only one thing, and the last time she saw a grin like that she wasn't exactly willing to comply.  
  
"Don't mention it, Captain." Rachel said shortly, and broke eye contact to look around the Captain's quarters.  
  
It was by far the biggest room in the whole ship, Rachel didn't need to go and look at the others before making that assumption. The large windows were covered in maroon curtains, matching the blanket covering Jack's bed. There was the biggest bookcase she had ever seen in her life, filled with books, 'probably about ships and piracy,' she thought. The desk Jack was sitting behind was huge, maps, papers, and quills lying all over it. She also noticed the hefty dining table where Jack ate, a dresser, and her trunk. There were what seemed to be hundreds of candles everywhere, which she did not remember seeing lit when she was changing before. Jack noticed her observing his cabin and positively glowed with pride at his beautiful room.  
  
"Well then," Jack said, leaning back into his chair and placed his feet on the desk, crossing them at the ankles, "I shoul' prob'ly tell ye abou' th' treasure,"  
  
Jack went on to tell Rachel what she had already known for a long time. The treasure was the Treasure of the Mayans. The Mayans had fled to a small, deserted island called Grenada and buried all their treasure underground because they were being attacked by another tribe called the Aztecs. They knew that they had to hide their treasure from being taken by another tribe. This information was recently discovered, and some drunk released the news, so now everybody was going to try their luck to find the island that was nearly impossible to find. He explained to her that he needed to get on The Dauntless to get the map to Grenada because there were very few maps of it, and he knew that there should be a map of the island on the vessel because it was the most important ship in the Royal Navy, now that the Interceptor was destroyed. The Dauntless had an extensive library of maps and cutlasses, which was right where Jack happened to find his map.  
  
The only thing that Rachel didn't know that Jack decided not to share with her was the fact that there was something that the Aztecs wanted from the Mayans. That little something was supposedly buried with their treasure and meant to be kept away from the Aztecs when they invaded. Jack wanted it very badly. If he obtained the priceless object, he would most definitely be the most feared pirate in the entire world.  
  
While Jack was talking, Rachel formed a plan, 'Maybe if I say that he doesn't have to pay me for saving him, and I somehow convince him to let me travel with him to the island, he'd trust me more, seeing as how I don't want his money... but how to make him take me with him without seeming too suspicious...' Her thoughts were interrupted when Jack asked "Savvy?"  
  
Ignoring whatever he had just said, Rachel said, "You know what Captain Sparrow? Forget about giving me part of yer treasure," she smiled at his shocked face, confused at why she was denying gold. "Treasure doesn't matter to me, and I'm well off with me earnings from previous... jobs. Besides, I'm an assassin, not a hero. Why should I be paid for doin' somethin' that doesn't fit in me job description? Think of it as a favor, and maybe someday ye can save me own life," she half-joked, but figured that she would probably need that kind of assistance some day.  
  
Jack sat there unmoving, not expecting her to turn down an offer to be paid. He blinked owlishly. At first he found that strange, but he shrugged it off, thinking nothing else of it.  
  
"Well... alrigh' then," he agreed, not letting her take the chance to change her mind, "Let us give ye safe voyage home, an' for th' night ye can stay in me quarters... by yer onesies," he added quickly at the slightly suspicious look crossing her face, "as a thank ye for saving me neck."  
  
"No, no I won't do that; tis not a problem at all. I'll just sleep with the crew; it's only for one night. If ye could just help me with me trunk, I'd be much obliged." She tried to smile innocently at him, grasping in her mind for any reason to try to get him to offer to help with the treasure hunting; the past 12 years of her life had been devoted for this once in a lifetime chance, and she needed to grab it.  
  
Jack nodded and carried her trunk to the crew's quarters, where they all were still awake, either drinking or playing cards. He set down her trunk under the hammock nearest the door and turned to face her.  
  
"Ye know, if it's company ye be wantin' to persuade ye to sleep in me quarters, it can be arranged," Jack said lowly, trying to entice her. 'I'm a pirate, I ca'n help it!' he thought, "and then I'll also 'ave repaid ye for savin' me."  
  
"No, I don't think so Captain," she said, not missing a beat, and leaned closer to him, their faces close to touching. She locked eyes with him and slowly let her gaze drop to his lips, then back up again to his eyes. Using the same tone Jack had, she said, "Maybe some other time." 'Maybe if he thinks he'll be gettin' somethin' outta me, he'll ask me to sail with him.' And with that, she turned around to her trunk and got out a blanket to sleep with. She was lying down just as Jack was leaving, with a surprised look on his face. He had not at all expected her to say something like that; she had appeared so innocent! 'Let's remember tha' she 'as killed possibly 'undreds of men, looks can be decievin',' he thought as he bid the crew and Rachel good night and left for his quarters.  
  
As Jack lay in his bed, he tossed and turned without sleep. He kept thinking about Rachel and how strange she had turned out to be. When she was saving him, she was a ruthless assassin, ready to kill any man who got in her way. But when she was in his cabin earlier, she had come off as such an innocent woman. What had made things stranger was that she had turned down his offer to pay her for rescuing him. Her pretty face kept haunting his thoughts. He couldn't stand it anymore, he had to go look at her one last time, and then he'd go back to sleep.  
  
Jack got up quietly, walking slowly down the hall that was lighted during the night. He opened the door to the crew's quarters and stood in the doorway, moving slightly to the left so that the light from the hall streamed in to the room where he would be able to see her.  
  
Rachel's blanket was only covering the lower half of her body now, and he could tell that at some point she had changed into sleeping clothes, but not a lady's sleeping clothes. She was still wearing trousers, but they were looser and more comfortable, and she wore a smaller man's blouse where she had cut the sleeves off and loosened the neckline, which gave Jack a better idea of what her figure looked like. She was sleeping peacefully, her thick chestnut hair strewn around her head. The length of her hair seemed to be shorter than how ladies usually wore their hair, past or reaching the middle of their backs, like Elizabeth. But Rachel's hair seemed to only be about 1 inch past her shoulders.  
  
Jack frowned and took a step closer, noticing something. Her shirt had risen up on her body, a result of moving around while she slept. The shirt showed a bit of her stomach, about an inch and a half from her waist. It was what he had noticed on her stomach that intrigued him. There seemed to be a scar or tattoo that was at her navel and traveled up and down her torso.  
  
As Jack got closer, he realized that it must have been a scar because it was a pearlish color. He reached his arm out, trying to gingerly raise her shirt to see what that marking was...  
  
Suddenly, Rachel bolted upright, grabbing his arm with a gasp. It took about 10 seconds for her to realize that Jack was hovering over her and that she was holding on to him. She released him and jumped up.  
  
"What's wrong, love?" Jack asked, trying to avoid the topic of why he was watching her while she slept.  
  
"I had a nightmare about what you said... if those people know who I am then they'll know where I live! I ca'n go back to La Paz! They'll be waitin' for me! Turn the ship around, get away from that town!" she ordered Jack, who obeyed only because he was grateful that she didn't say anything about why he was in the cabin.  
  
She rushed Jack to the helm and had him steer them away from La Paz before they got too close for the navy to catch sight of them and come after them.  
  
Once in the clear, they both relaxed, Jack relieved that he had avoided that disaster, and she happy that her plan to travel with them had worked. But there really was truth to what she claimed, she really did have a dream and she really did think that the navy would be waiting for them. She was just lucky she thought of it just in time.  
  
"Well then, guess yer comin' with us to find th' treasure after all," Jack said with a grin, hoping that she had forgotten the incident in the cabin, and secretly happy that she was joining them. He was starting to like the demanding lass.  
  
"I suppose so... I just want to make it clear tha' I do not want any share in it. I figure tha' th' navy will be off our track by th' time th' treasure is found," she added, "so then ye can take me home once ye found this treasure of yourn."  
  
Jack just nodded, and Rachel remembered what he had hoped she hadn't.  
  
"Captain Sparrow! Why were you hovering over me while I slept?" she almost yelled, a little thrown off that she had almost not remembered to inquire as to why he was watching her.  
  
Jack winced visibly as she remembered his odd act earlier, and praying to avoid any more embarrassment, he simply said, "Jest admiring th' view while it lasts, darling."  
  
A/N: Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys are so amazing, thank you so much for taking time to read my story – its been forming in my mind for ages and it feels good to get it out and have people enjoy it. and remember everyone – the more reviews the better so don't be shy on just saying one or two things, it doesn't have to be lengthy I just want to know if people even care so please keep reading and reviewing! Thanks again! 


	5. Chapter Five: The New Cook

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC; I just really really wish I did  
  
Chapter Five: The New Cook  
  
After the fiasco in the middle of the night, Rachel went back to her hammock to try to get a few more hours of sleep before sunup. It seemed no sooner had she fallen asleep was she woken again with the cabin door being flung open and a roar echoing off the walls.  
  
"Get up, ye mangy dogs! Get yer breakfast and get t' work!" yelled none other than Captain Jack, and left as soon as he heard feet hit the deck.  
  
Rachel leapt right out of bed when the door banged against the wall and almost had her dagger in hand when she realized it was just Jack waking the crew. She grabbed a shirt out of her trunk and threw it on over her nightshirt along with a few of her effects and headed off to the galley.  
  
When she got there, the first thing she noticed was the crew scrambling around barrels of fish and bread, hurrying to get on deck as soon as possible. She waited until there wasn't a mad dash for the food and chose just bread instead of the cold fish. Rachel wondered if some of the fish were even dead yet.  
  
She joined the crew at the table and listened to them talk about why they weren't heading for La Paz. When she was seated, it was the first thing she was asked.  
  
"Rachel, why are'n we takin' ye home? 'Ave ye decided t' help us with th' treasure after all?"  
  
Everyone was as silent as they could be while rushing to finish their meal, waiting for Rachel's response.  
  
"It's a bit of a long story, really. I awoke in the middle of the night from a nightmare that we docked in port at La Paz and straight away we were attacked and seized by the Navy. Tha's when I realized tha' Captain Sparrow said before tha' he heard someone in Port Royal say me name," she paused for effect and took a bite of her bread. When she was done chewing, she continued. "I woke up an' convinced the captain to turn away from La Paz seein' as we could all be hangin' at th' end of a noose by sundown if we kept our course."  
  
The crew looked at her, still confused. Not quite understanding the story and also not understanding why the more she spoke, the more loose her accent became.  
  
Rachel sighed, finishing her bread, "If they knew who I was, then they would know where I live."  
  
Finally the crew understood and finished their breakfast; decided to ask her about her speech later when they had more time. They all heard Jack's footsteps coming loudly down the hall to the galley. By the time he opened the door, the crew was filing out past him with a few casual greetings, Rachel being at the end of the line.  
  
"We be headin' fer Tortuga, mates. We should be there by sunset if th' wind's good. Wha' do ye plan on doin' today, love?" Jack asked, stopping her from leaving with the rest of the crew, who were already on deck and at their regular morning duties.  
  
"I want to help the crew," she stated plainly, as if it were an obvious fact. Jack frowned at this.  
  
"Yer not goin' t' help, there ain't no need," Jack said stubbornly, not allowing her to help in his thanks for saving his life.  
  
"You know, Captain-" Rachel was cut off.  
  
"Ye can call me Jack, as long as I can call ye Rachel." Jack made a deal with her.  
  
"Fine, Jack, you don't really expect me to take passage on your ship and just sit here and do nothin', do you?"  
  
"Aye, ye can jest sit there an' look pretty," Jack grinned, leaning up against the doorway still blocking her to exit from the galley and go up on deck.  
  
"Jack Sparrow! I will not allow you to treat me differently just because I saved yer life an' I'm a woman! I will be assigned some job on this ship, and said job will be assigned now!" she raised her voice with her hands on her hips defiantly.  
  
Jack could see why she would want some job to do on the ship. She could get bored quite easily, so he thought in silence about a job she could do.  
  
"Will ye allow me to cook? There is obviously no cook aboard this ship, and I'm sure yer crew would be delighted to have food set out fer them and it would also save some time so there wouldn't be no scrambling about to get at the food barrels." She paused. "What say you?" she asked.  
  
Jack thought for a moment, and finally gave in. "Aye, ye can cook," he sighed, "All th' food is either in here or in the next room there," he said, pointing to a door on the other side of the room. "And ye can also help me out with th' location of th' treasure if ye would," Jack stuck out his hand, "Do we have an accord?"  
  
Rachel nodded in agreement and shook his hand, "Agreed. Do ye eat the same food th' crew eats?" she asked, letting go.  
  
"Aye, jest bring it to me room. If I'm not there, set it on th' desk." Then he turned and walked out of the galley, leaving Rachel to her own devices.  
  
Rachel decided to take advantage of the morning and look through all the food that was in the room and also in the kitchen. After taking into account what was there, she threw together some sort of mixed lunch for the crew just in time.  
  
The crew filed into the galley along with Jack, which apparently was some sort of oddity according to the crew's sidelong glances, but everyone quickly dismissed it and focused on the cooked food instead. They all seemed to be very happy that they did not need to go bustling around the food barrels anymore in hopes of grabbing some sort of food item.  
  
Rachel sat down and joined them in eating. She half listened to the conversation going around the table, but did no contributing to it except the occasional nod and smile. It wasn't until she was addressed when she paid full attention.  
  
"So Rachel," a young lad named Jonathon started, "I think tha' yer really joinin' our crew here because ye have yerself a secret,"  
  
Rachel froze, momentarily thinking that they had found out her secret one way or another, but decided not to jump to conclusions just yet. All eyes were on her, including Jack who noticed that she had tensed up visibly from Jonathon's comment and watched her closely.  
  
"What?" she asked, trying to keep the slight squeak out of her voice, which she did so fairly successfully.  
  
"I think tha' yer secretly in love with one o' us, tha's wha' I think," Jonathon said with a playful grin which just barely hid that his real feelings were anything but playful. Jack and Rachel were the only ones who caught that extra something, but both chose to ignore it.  
  
"Oh!" Rachel exclaimed, relieved that they had just been joking around. 'I have to learn to take it easy,' she thought. "Oh, yes, like I would have an attraction for _you_, Jonathon. You are much too young and skinny for my liking." Which Jonathon was. He had to be 16 or 17 years old and was the skinniest looking lad you'd ever see.  
  
Jonathon, a bit miffed by the comment, said, "Well, yer mother seems to like 'em young an' skinny then." After the chortle of laughter that filled the room, all eyes were again on her for a response. Rachel stiffened at the mention of her deceased mother, but did not make any sort of retort to him. He did not know what happened.  
  
So instead, Rachel fired back, "So does yer sister."  
  
That set everybody off laughing, even Jack. The crew all left the galley at the end of their meal, Jonathon at the end of the line, giving her one last glance before disappearing up to the deck.  
  
Rachel began to pick up the dishes when a voice came from the door. "Ye alrigh' Rachel?" asked Jack. Rachel jumped and almost dropped the plate in her hand. She quickly turned around and scolded him for sneaking up on her.  
  
"Don't do that Mr. Sparrow!" she said teasingly.  
  
Jack grinned and walked into the room, "It's Captain! Captain Sparrow! But I told ye t' call me Jack. An' why shouldn' I?" he asked, still grinning and walking, slowly getting closer and closer to her. Rachel didn't back away. She was never one to back away from someone, they were to back away from her.  
  
"Because next time," Jack had stopped just inches from her, both trying to remain unfazed by the closeness of their bodies, "I could mistake you for someone else and accidentally kill you." She said calmly, a small smile playing on her lips.  
  
Jack glanced down and noticed her precious dagger in her right hand for the first time. "How do ye pull tha' thing out withou' me knowing?" he asked lowly, his eyes raising slowly from the dagger but got stuck staring at her breasts instead of her face.  
  
"You do'n notice it because you're too busy staring at my breasts to know wha's goin' on anywhere else,"  
  
His eyes shot up to her own, not the least bit ashamed at being caught, although he quickly changed the subject, the two still standing dangerously close to one another.  
  
"Did Jonathon's comment bother ye any?" he tried.  
  
"No," and with that, Rachel turned away with the plates in hand and set them in a basin to be washed. When she turned back to go get the rest, Jack was standing right behind her, again getting dangerously close. Rachel bit back a growl of displeasure.  
  
"I think it did, I could tell by yer face,"  
  
"How would ye know anything about me, you've known me for one day," she asked a little coldly.  
  
"I'm good a' readin' body language," he grinned, unfazed by her slight coldness to him.  
  
Rachel took the opportunity to stop talking about her mother and took the one step needed to close the small gap between them. She pressed her breasts against him as she spoke.  
  
"I bet you are, captain," she murmured, slightly smiling and leaning closer to his face. Jack was just about to react when a voice interrupted them.  
  
"Captain! Gibbs said-" Jonathon stopped short when he saw the close proximity between his captain and Rachel. Jack turned around, now serious and a little pissed off at the interruption, away from Rachel to face Jonathon  
  
"Gibbs said..." Jack said, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Jonathon quickly recovered, but the pep had left his voice in exchange with bitterness.  
  
"Gibbs said tha' a storm was comin' up, sir."  
  
Jack whisked past Jonathon with one last glance at Rachel, and ran up to the deck.  
  
Rachel, unsure of what to do during a storm, brushed by Jonathon and headed up the stairs to the main deck. She noticed towards the north that there were massive storm clouds; one didn't need to be an expert at sea to know what those clouds meant. As the ship starting to hit rougher waters, she and the crew were having problems staying in one place, but Jack seemed to have the best sea legs in the world because he didn't appear to be swaying at all from his position at the helm, shouting orders to the crew and keeping his eyes straight ahead.  
  
Rachel made her way up to the helm with some difficulty, and approached Jack.  
  
"Jack, what can I do to help?"  
  
Jack's eyes shifted from the sky to her just like their first meeting all over again, the déjà vu giving her goose bumps.  
  
"Nothin' at all. Ye do'n know nothin' about sailin', an' I do'n want ye gettin' thrown overboard. Go below deck an' wait this storm out."  
  
Neither had noticed an enraged Jonathon come up the helm steps behind them. He reached out and meant to push Jack over the side of the Pearl, but a rough wave hit the ship and instead of pushing Jack, he fell into Rachel, casting her overboard and just barely saving himself. 


	6. Chapter Six: Into the Sea

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC ... yet  
  
Chapter Six: Into the Sea  
  
As Rachel hit the water, the waves did not ease up at all in speed. In fact, the water kept rushing around her faster and faster with each passing minute. With the force of her fall, she sunk quite a way down, the waves pummeling her. And very unfortunately for her, she was in such a shock of falling overboard that she did not breathe in enough air to suffice her being under water for the period of time it took to surface.  
  
Jack heard Rachel tumble backwards and tried to reach out to grab her, but he was too late. She had fallen. And it was all that stupid whelp's fault. Jack turned to Jonathon, seeing red. Deciding that it was not the opportune moment to beat the lad, Jack instead handed him his effects and his hat as quickly as he could. Once rid of his accessories, he tied a spare rope around his waist and dove gracefully off the side of the ship, yelling to Gibbs to hold the helm.  
  
Gibbs turned around, stunned to see Jack dive off the ship with a rope attached to him. He ran up to the helm and leaned over the railing, just in time to see Jack delve into the deep black void that was the ocean. He turned to Jonathon, seeing that he was holding Jack's things and just standing there, unmoving.  
  
"Wha' in blazes did the Cap'n jump off th' side o' th' ship fer, boy?!" Gibbs glanced around and noticed that Rachel was not on deck like she had been minutes before. He assumed she went down to the galley to wait the storm out.  
  
Jonathon tried to speak, but no words came, shocked that he had knocked Rachel off the Black Pearl.  
  
"Jonathon! Answer man!" Gibbs shouted while steering the ship through the storm that was becoming worse but just barely beginning. Deciding that he could wait no longer for an answer, he shouted to the crew to be on hand when Jack needed to be pulled up from the ocean.  
  
Jack hit the warm waters of the Caribbean gracefully. He swam around frantically trying to find Rachel, but to no avail. Finally he saw a flash of metal to his right from her cutlass, and swam with all his might to her. She was struggling to swim to the top, but couldn't, due to the weight of her wet boots and clothes. He could see that she was starting to lose consciousness from the lack of air. Jack grabbed Rachel around the waist, thankful that there was no heavy dress to weigh her down to the sandy bottom, and propelled to the surface of the Caribbean Sea.  
  
He glanced over at her and could see that even though they were not far from the surface that she had been underwater much longer than he and was in desperate need of air. Jack stopped swimming for just a moment and pulled her face to his own. He opened her mouth and before the salt water could invade her lungs, he captured her mouth with his own and breathed air into her the best he could.  
  
His mouth still on hers, he looked to her eyes to see if there was any sort of reaction to the oxygen. Her eyes were opened wide with shock, staring at him. It was then he realized that they were beginning to slowly sink back to the bottom of the ocean, so he pulled away and they now both swam to the surface, Jack's arm around her waist to make sure she didn't drift away.  
  
They reached the surface and gasped in air greedily. Jack reached down to the rope and tugged it sharply twice and quickly grabbed a strong hold of Rachel before being hauled up to the deck yet again.  
  
As they landed, thunder rumbled through the sky and lightning streaked between clouds. Wind blew through the air so forcefully; it knocked Rachel and Jack back down onto the deck. And with that, rain started to pour down so brutally on the deck that it bounced back up from the force.  
  
Rachel still clung to Jack as they were helped up, still in shock from being thrown overboard and half-drowned. Jack still held a protective arm around her.  
  
"Cap'n, shoul' we drop canvas, sir?" Gibbs asked. Jack looked up to the sky.  
  
"She can hold a bit longer." Jack looked around and saw everybody standing there staring at the two. "Back t' work, ye mangy curs! Anamaria!" Jack called to the female pirate. She turned around. "Be a dear an' take Miss Finch down t' me cabin an' get 'er all fixed up, will ye? Th' minute ye can, get back ou' 'ere." With that, he gently pried Rachel off him with a slight smile and headed to the helm, where his effects lay minus the man who held them last, who was now working his hardest to fight against the storm and hoping against hope Jack had forgotten what happened.  
  
Anamaria led Rachel to Jack's cabin and set her down in a chair to regain her senses. She had never been that close to passing out from lack of oxygen before, and the aftermath and left her a bit dizzy and not exactly her usual strong self. As she lay limp in the chair, she told this to Anamaria.  
  
"Aw, no need t' fret. Jack's always thinkin' 'bout his crew. He would save any one o' us or die tryin'."  
  
Rachel blinked, Anamaria's words taking a bit longer than usual to register in her waterlogged brain. "I'm not part of the crew," she replied dumbly.  
  
Anamaria laughed. "Well, not officially, but ye may as well be, seein' as yer our cook an' yer helpin' us find treasure. It sounds t' me tha' yer very much a pirate, let alone part o' th' crew. I'll be righ' back with a change o' clothes fer ye." And she left.  
  
Once Ana left, this gave Rachel time to comprehend her words. She seemed to be quite right. She was on a pirate ship cooking for pirates, and the last time she checked, a cook on a pirate ship still counted as a crew member. And she was indeed assisting in the discovery of a long lost treasure. Rachel smiled to herself. Maybe this is where she belonged. Or maybe she was delusional from the underwater scare. Well, whatever it was, it made her happy.  
  
Ana returned with clothes from her trunk: a simple white blouse, black trousers, and another set of boots. Ana set them down and began to assist in removing Rachel's clothes, but no matter how out of it Rachel seemed, she knew that no one could see the scars that lay underneath her shirt, especially anyone on this ship. Rachel stood up, out of Anamaria's reach, and smiled warmly.  
  
"Thank you so very much, Ana, but I'm feeling much better now. I think I'll be able to dress myself. Besides, I do'n want to keep you from yer duties on deck."  
  
Ana smiled at Rachel in return, wished her well, and left the cabin, but not without pointing out that she had left a towel to dry off in.  
  
Once the door was closed, Rachel stripped off the sopping clothes and dried herself off with the towel, wanting to re-dress as quickly as possible so there would be less of a chance of interruptions. Once her body was dry, she tugged on her trousers, blouse, and boots, running her fingers over the old but still very apparent scar over her stomach. She grabbed the dagger and belt with her sword attached to it from her damp clothes and re- attached them to her dry clothes.  
  
Rachel sat down in the chair again, not realizing that the little activity she had just made would tire her out so much and make her as dizzy as it did. She leaned forward with her head between her knees, covering her head with the towel in a weak attempt to dry some of her hair. She must have dozed off a little bit because when she awoke; it was to the opening of the cabin door. Instinctively she reached for her dagger, but she realized it must have been Jack and leaned back in the chair to face him.  
  
And indeed it was Jack – a very soggy, cold Jack. He sighed his welcome to her, too tired to speak, and collapsed on the bed.  
  
Rachel felt a twinge of pity for Jack – the poor man tired himself out fighting a never ending battle with Mother Nature, and also wasted most of his energy saving her. Feeling a little more refreshed as a result of her nap, Rachel was able to get up and help Jack without getting too dizzy. He was laying on his back on the end of his bed, his knees and everything past them hanging off the side of the bed.  
  
Rachel got on her knees and yanked off each of his boots with a sickening 'pop' and placed them near her own clothes by the fireplace.  
  
"Ye do'n need t' do tha', love," Jack said to her in almost a whisper and without opening his eyes.  
  
"You are absolutely right, Captain, I don't need to do anything," she replied quietly as not to disturb him. She reached up to his head and took off his trusty hat, and began to gingerly take each arm out of his coat and pulling it out from under him with remarkable ease. She then took off his belt and sash, along with his weapons, and gently tugged his shirt off over his head, putting it in a pile with all the rest of his clothes.  
  
She went to Jack's dresser and returned with a new pair of blue trousers and another white blouse, almost identical to what he had previously been wearing. When she turned around, she quietly gasped at seeing the two bullet holes in his chest and the scars cut into his left forearm, not noticing them before when she was more focused on not disturbing Jack.  
  
Rachel did not comment about the wounds she saw, seeing as she herself had scars of her own that she would rather not talk about, and set the shirt down on a plush chair nearest his bed so he could wear it in the morning figuring he would be like any other man she knew and sleep shirtless. Then came the tough part: taking off his pants.  
  
She looked around a bit nervously, trying to figure out a way to take his pants off without embarrassing him, and most of all, herself. Then she spotted the towel she had used earlier and placed it over his hips so when she pulled his trousers off, she wouldn't see anything. This is exactly what happened, and did not remove the towel until she had snapped the button to his dry trousers.  
  
She yanked off the towel, and grabbing the rest of his clothes, she went to place them by the fire as well. She came back and adjusted Jack so that he was laying properly in his bed, which jostled him awake a bit.  
  
He grabbed her arms and spoke again without opening his eyes: "Stay 'ere," he whispered, pulling her to his other side and fell asleep, still not releasing her. He reveled in the warmth of her body; a nice change from the hours of rainfall he had to endure.  
  
Rachel breathed deeply, eyes wide, but finally settled down when she recognized that Jack was not one to fear. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, resting her head slightly on Jack's shoulder. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Old Scars

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC and yes, I do cry about it  
  
**Chapter Seven: Old Scars  
**  
Rachel awoke with a start, nightmares still plaguing her dreams, especially now with her close encounter in the ocean not hours before. Once she woke, she noticed instantly that there was something different: the warmth radiating from her right side. She looked over to see a sleeping pirate captain. From this, Rachel decided that it must have been very early because Jack was always the first to rise.  
  
He was sleeping very soundly with a small smirk on his face as he held her fairly tightly to his side. Rachel gently pried herself out of Jack's grip so as not to wake him and got up. She turned around quickly at the sound of movement coming from the bed. Unsettled by her absence, Jack rolled on to his stomach in a hazy state trying to find his lost source of heat.  
  
Not wanting to disturb him anymore, Rachel quietly crept out of the cabin and walked up on deck to see a sad sight indeed: not only was the _Black Pearl_ in obvious need of repair, but the barely conscious crew keeping watch was also in desperate need of fixing.  
  
She walked over to the three crew members and told them to get some rest and that she would keep watch, assuring them that if anything happened that she would wake them immediately. They did not need to be told twice, and they quickly found a comfortable spot on the deck to doze until morning.  
  
Rachel walked up to the helm and noticed the _Pearl_ was being steered by merely a damp rope. She stood behind the wheel and hesitantly placed her hands upon it, trying to understand what Jack saw, what he felt, when he was in this position himself. She stared intently at the horizon, but found her gaze drifting up to the ink black sky, stars starting to appear through the fading storm clouds. She sighed, getting lost in the cosmic eternity above her.  
  
"Beautiful night, eh?" came Jack's voice from the deck, "Ironic, seein' as it was hell jest a few hours ago."  
  
Rachel smiled down to him, beginning to feel comfortable together, especially now after their little nap.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack, did I wake you?" she asked sweetly, wanting the temporary peace in the world to last forever.  
  
"Ye know, 'tis funny," Jack said, walking up to the helm and standing behind her, placing his hands over her own, which were still on the wheel of the _Pearl_, "I seemed to 'ave gotten used to yer presence in me bed mighty quick. I woke after ye left me all by meself," Jack whispered, his warm breath tickling her neck.  
  
Having Jack that close to her caused Rachel to get nervous. Being used to violence coming from men and sometimes even women, this was a very big change for her. Since she was not comfortable with this new caring male attention, Rachel turned around to face him, and in the process had broken the contact between them.  
  
Rachel decided that now would be as good a time as any to express her gratitude for him saving her. Not until now had she fully understood how Jack felt when she saved his own life.  
  
"I want to thank you for doing what you did earlier," she started unsteadily, not sure how to explain how thankful she was, but also how much remorse she now felt from keeping things from Jack. She wasn't usually like this, she was tough! She killed men for a living – how could this one man, a pirate to boot, make her have a conscience? Rachel continued, trying to avoid eye contact, "I don't know how to tell you much I appreciate it-" Jack cut her off.  
  
"I know exactly wha' ye mean, love. I've been there, remember?" Jack said, capturing her gaze. "Now we're square."  
  
She smiled at him, happy that he understood. It was when she noticed that his gaze intensified as he allowed it to trail down to her lips and back to her eyes that her smile disappeared. His eyes also seemed to have turned darker, and then Rachel realized what he was thinking. Her first thought was to let him kiss her, but a quick flashback to her previous encounter with a pirate captain such as himself made her change her mind completely.  
  
"I better go start making breakfast," she said awkwardly, backing away from Jack.  
  
"I'm no' dealin' with a virgin now, am I?" Jack asked, slightly teasing, but partly curious as to why she evaded him.  
  
"Far from it, Mr. Sparrow," she said smartly, and slipped away down to the galley, leaving Jack quite disappointed.

Rachel was so lost in her thoughts as she finished the crew's breakfast that she forgot entirely that some snot nosed kid had almost killed her. Any other time and the moment she had hit the deck the boy would have been dead. But between the underwater "kiss" and the nap, both from Jack, she had been somewhat distracted. But her old self kicked right back in again, along with the thoughts of killing the stupid blighter, as Jonathon entered the galley, looking quite pale and, needless to say, frightened.  
  
"You!" Rachel growled, unable to rein her anger, and stalked over to him. "Who the hell do you think you are? Tryin' to kill me is that it?" she asked furiously, her blood positively boiling.  
  
Jonathon backed away, only to run into the wall. "I did'n mean to, I was aimin' fer Jack," he stammered.  
  
"That ain't helpin' you any, whelp. You just told me tha' you wanted to off yer captain?" Rachel shook her head, getting within a foot of him and stopping. "That can't be right by the code, now can it?" she asked lowly.  
  
Jonathon glanced behind her and noticed a small silent audience, and he would never back down to a woman in front of an audience.  
  
"Well, I thought tha' ye would 'ave sharper skills than tha', t' go an' fall over th' side o' a ship. Wouldn't expect it from ye, truth be told." He spoke too much.  
  
In a flash, Rachel grabbed his throat with her left hand and with her right she held her trusty dagger, holding it dangerously close to his eye.  
  
"You want to see sharp skills, eh? Well, let us see just how fast and painful I can pop your fuckin' eye out right here, shall we?" Rachel was beyond furious at this point. "No lad tries to kill me, and on top of that give me lip, and lives to talk about it," she continued, her death grip on his throat getting stronger, causing him to start to choke.  
  
"Alrigh', break it up. I wo'n 'ave fightin' on me ship," Jack said, pulling Rachel away from Jonathon. He fell to the ground, grabbing at this throat and gasping for breath.  
  
"I have every right to stab this goddamn cur in the head right now, he tried to kill me! I almost died!" she desperately tried to reason with Jack, her thirst for revenge becoming unbearable.  
  
"Do'n worry, lass. Ye wo'n 'ave to deal with 'im much longer. Lock 'im in the brig, Gibbs, he's off th' _Pearl_ once we reach Tortuga." Gibbs nodded, picking Jonathon up off the floor and taking him away, as Jack did the same to Rachel, taking them to their separate corners after Round One. Once all the excitement was over, the crew ate quickly, seeing as they lost time with a show, and hurried out on deck to try to repair what they could.  
  
Rachel's shirt was now soaked in wine from spilling it on herself in her haste to attack Jonathon. Once in Jack's cabin, the first thing he did was get her a clean shirt from his dresser, which was unnecessary because she had many more in her trunk, but she didn't press the matter.  
  
Rachel grabbed the shirt, still seeing red, and without a second thought peeled the wet shirt off. Something in the back of her mind told her this was bad, but the only logical thing at the time was if Jack could see her womanly parts. Rachel knew he couldn't because she had undergarments on underneath, so she was slightly annoyed at the alarm going off in her head when she took off her shirt. Then she remembered.  
  
Rachel turned quickly away from Jack and put on the clean shirt swiftly, hoping he didn't notice her stomach. But he did.  
  
"Where did ye get tha'?" Jack asked, stepping closer and inspecting her scars. She speedily hid her stomach from his view.  
  
"I don't remember," she lied, not looking him in the eye. They both heard the bustle of the crew members rushing past Jack's door and up onto the deck, where the sun had just risen, drying the sails on the ship.  
  
"Aye, I think ye do remember, Miss Rachel. Who did tha' to ye?" he pressed.  
  
"Not your business, Sparrow," she said warningly, fixing to leave to go clean up the galley. Jack stopped her.  
  
"Yer on me ship now, missy, and I demand t' know wha' in blazes happ'ned t' ye." Jack said sternly, and one look in his eyes told Rachel that he was dead serious in knowing the source of her scars.  
  
Rachel sighed angrily, her patience already worn thin from her confrontation with Jonathon, and now this. Fine, he wanted to know so bad, she'd make him know so he would regret ever asking her.  
  
"You want to know, eh? Well then, have a seat, Mr. Sparrow, because it's a good story, you're one for stories, right? I bet you never heard this one before," Jack took her advice and sat at his desk. "Well, let's see. I must have been about 16 years old. I lived in a rich, uppity little town in the Caribbean. Can't remember what it was called, I try to block out as much of my horrific past as possible, but since you're forcing me to remember, I'll do my best with the details. Bear with me." Rachel said sarcastically, and throughout her whole story, her tone did not change. "I was 16 when my town was attacked. Yes, by pirates. My mother, father, an' little brother were all killed an' I was kidnapped. The captain took me and kept me in his cabin for 3 months. And do ye know wha' he kept me for, Jack? Hmm?" she asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Jack just looked on solemnly, allowing her to get it all out, and he shook his head no. She madly continued. "Well, I'll tell ye. He raped me. For 3 whole months. Do ye 'ave any idea how long tha' is? I almost went insane, Jack! But one day, one day I found courage in me t' get out of th' hell I was trapped in. I almost got 'im, I almost killed th' captain, but he was too quick to react, and while he raped me for th' last time, he took this dagger," she pulled out the dagger she always had in her boot, "and cut me stomach up until he was finished. I had passed out from th' pain, and he threw me overboard, ALIVE, with this dagger still stuck in me. Think about it Jack," she sat down across from him, pure sympathy in his eyes, "salt water on open wounds." That was all she could say.  
  
Rachel got up and went for the door. Jack reached out and grabbed her arm, trying to get her to stay, but she wrenched her arm free, tears starting to stream down her face.  
  
"Don't touch me."  
  
Then she turned and left.  
  
A/N: Please please please PLEASE review for me! please no flames, they make up i swear :) 


	8. Chapter Eight: Tortuga

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC  
  
Chapter Eight: Tortuga  
  
Rachel felt very foolish for crying in front of the captain, so the next day she tried her best to avoid him, as anyone else would after having told him something she never told anyone before. As she was preparing breakfast for the crew the following morning, Rachel thought about the previous day's events which led her to wonder why she even told Jack.  
  
She angrily chopped the poor fish into tiny pieces, the knife pounding on the wooden table. 'Sure, he had yelled at a bit and tried to force it out of me, but I'm tough! I've been faced with much worse than this! ... so why did I tell him?'  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted when someone from on deck yelled 'Land ho!', which meant that Tortuga wasn't that far away, and then they'd be getting rid of Jonathon. This made Rachel feel relieved and happy as she finished carrying to food to the table. The crew bustled into the galley earlier than the designated time, probably because of their excitement to reach Tortuga.  
  
Jack always ate in his room and for the past three meals Rachel snuck into his room to place the food on his desk beforehand so as she wouldn't have to run into him. So to see him eating in the galley ever since her tantrum was no surprise to her because she knew he wanted to talk to her about what happened, but she still took food to his room, hoping that he would eat there instead of the more public place.  
  
As everybody piled in, Rachel tried to push her way out, just like yesterday's lunch and dinner so she wouldn't have to face Jack. But her efforts were to no avail this time. Just when she thought she made it through another meal without having to look at Jack, Rachel ran right into him, causing her to stumble backwards. She frowned.  
  
"Excuse me, sir," she said, still obviously pissed off about him delving into her past with her as a guide.  
  
Jack ignored her angry state. "Rachel, could I speak with ye fer a momen'?" Jack asked seriously, very sorry that he made her tell him what happened when he technically didn't need to know.  
  
Rachel sighed resignedly and decided that she couldn't be angry at him the entire journey, so she followed him up on deck where the sun had just risen. Jack didn't speak, he just stared out into the brightening ocean, making Rachel think that she misheard him when he asked to speak with her.  
  
Uncomfortable by the silence that was ensuing, Rachel cleared her throat and Jack swung around and looked at her.  
  
"I put your breakfast in your room," she tried, speaking slowly.  
  
"Rachel, I wan' to talk to ye,"  
  
"What about?" she replied, acting as if it never happened.  
  
"Ye know very well wha' about," he said lowly.  
  
"What else is there to say, Captain? I told you everything. Please don't make me tell it to you again,"  
  
"I'm sorry tha' I made ye tell me somethin' tha' was none o' me business. I did'n think 'twas tha' personal t' ye, I thought it was jest a battle wound an' I was curious is all," he apologized, looking her in the eyes and waiting for her reaction.  
  
She sighed again. Jack was beginning to like that sound. "It's alright, you didn't know... I s'pose. Just please keep it to yourself. I never told anyone about what happened to me, so don't tell anybody or I'll have to kill you," she said, half smiling to show she was joking and that they were on good terms again.  
  
But Jack didn't smile back. "Why did ye tell me, then? I did'n 'ave a pistol t' yer head,"  
  
"I don't know," said Rachel, biting her lower lip. Jack decided he liked that lip. And the other one, too.  
  
Jack stepped closer, pressing his body up against her and slid his hand over the back of her head. His fingers wound in her auburn hair as he gently pulled her head back so her face was turned up to his own. He placed a hand along her cheek and lightly guided her lips against his. Forgetting everything, Rachel attempted to deepen the kiss by flicking her tongue against Jack's teeth, receiving a moan from him for her actions.  
  
Before they could get any farther they heard the crew nosily leaving the galley. Hearing this brought Jack and Rachel back, realizing where they were and what they were doing. She quickly pulled away from Jack and headed downstairs to clean up just as the crew was arriving on deck, more than ready to reach dry land and get supplies for the long trip that awaited them.  
  
Jack resumed his duties as captain, shouting orders to the crew and manning the helm. Although he tried to hide from the crew that anything had gone on between he and Rachel, no one failed to notice and didn't comment on the bulge in his trousers.  
  
By nightfall the Black Pearl reached Tortuga, just in time for the regular nighttime festivities. For the first time ever, Jack told the crew to make the visit to Tortuga a short one – they would be leaving the very next night, and before leaving they would release Jonathon. Most of the crew went to shore besides Rachel and Anamaria. They stayed and made sure that Jonathon didn't escape and try anything stupid. He knew that no other pirate ship would take him onto their crew if the word was spread around about his attempt to shove the captain overboard, and he would be lucky if he lived a month after being left in Tortuga. Even pirates have some kinds of morals, and no buccaneer likes the thought of a young arrogant lad trying to kill a captain and thinking he would succeed.  
  
Jonathon figured out that they were docked at Tortuga and he could hear Anamaria and Rachel talking on deck, so he started shouting threats and calling them names from the brig, secretly in fear of his fate. The women tried to ignore him and talked amongst themselves for the first few hours the crew was gone. They talked about previous adventures they had had, which led to the story of the Aztec gold curse. Rachel had heard the story before, but there were many embellishments added from the drunks she heard it from. She had never heard the true story and was amazed by it, especially Will and Jack's courage. She never would have expected the Will that she knew to go after the woman he loved and risk his own life to save her.  
  
The story then led to the thought of Jack. She cringed jealously when she pictured what he was probably doing in Tortuga. Rachel hated this helpless feeling, she never felt it before now. She was jealous over Jack's "activities" in the town and she was frustrated with that jealousy feeling that she shouldn't be feeling. Anamaria saw her shudder.  
  
"Wha's th' matter? Cold?" she asked, shifting her seat on the railing to look at Rachel.  
  
"No, I'm fine. When does the crew usually return?" she asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
"Well, depends on wha' they be doin'. Some return late a' night, some in th' morning, or even later."  
  
"What... when does Jack usually return?" Rachel tried again, not making eye contact with the other woman, knowing that she would give herself away if she looked at her.  
  
Anamaria smiled. "Ye got a thing with th' Captain, eh? No need t' fret, most women ca'n resist 'im. I'd never live it down if he 'eard me say tha'."  
  
"Did you and Jack ever..." Rachel's voice trailed off, finally turning to face Ana.  
  
Her face screwed up in horror. "My Jesus, no! Good Christ! I ca'n stand th' pig, but I 'ave to respect 'im as captain. He's a good man, but he's very full of 'imself if ye ask me. I do'n like it much," she grinned.  
  
Rachel laughed at the face Anamaria made when she suggested that she and Jack "engaged in activities" together, then grew quiet.  
  
"So, wha' happened with ye and Jack?" Ana asked, this time not making eye contact with Rachel in case she was getting to personal.  
  
Rachel was hesitant. She had never had a girlfriend that she gossiped and talked about boys with, and needless to say she wasn't used to it. Rachel hoped that if they did become close friends that it wouldn't make her look weak, but she then realized that her and Ana were very similar in that she probably wasn't used to any girl talk herself being on a ship full of stinky men.  
  
"Nothing really. During breakfast today he kissed me, right before everybody came up on deck. I was caught a bit off guard," Rachel laughed, trying to act like the kiss didn't mean anything.  
  
Ana smiled and was about to respond when a shout from Jonathon came from below.  
  
"Ye goddamn whores! Should'n ye be workin' th' streets while yer here? Or are ye gettin' enough from Gibbs an' Sparrow?" he cackled, going out of his mind in fear of what would happen to him when he was released.  
  
"Oh no, he didn't go there," Rachel said, rising and thumping down to the brig, with an equally furious Anamaria at her heels.  
  
When they reached the brig, Jonathon saw them and jumped up from his position on the floor, about to yell out another insult. He swallowed his words when he saw Rachel and Ana's faces and backed further into his cell.  
  
Rachel pulled out her cutlass and banged it on the bars, making Jonathon leap further back.  
  
"Not so brave with your words now, are you? You know, me and you haven't gotten off to be the best of friends and I've killed my best friends before without a second thought, so don't fucking think that I wouldn't think twice about slitting your throat!" her voice rising as she spoke. She lowered her voice back to it's normal tone. "You say somethin' like tha' about me or Ana here ever again and I do'n care what the captain says, I'll cut you so fast you would'n see it comin' and save th' pirates waitin' for ye in Tortuga the effort. So piss off, ye bilge-sucking blighter." Rachel turned to Ana. "Anything to add?" She shook her head and they turned to leave, not hearing a peep from Jonathon for the rest of the night.  
  
Jack and a few others returned right before dawn with the town sutler to bring the supplies on deck. The first thing Rachel noticed was there wasn't nearly as much rum as she would have expected from Jack.  
  
"What happened Jack? Did they not recover their rum supply from the last time you came?" Rachel asked.  
  
"It's all grog now. I was hard pressed t' find some pure rum in th' whole town. Had t' visit me secret sources," he replied with a wink, finding no offense to her statement about his love of rum.  
  
Once all the supplies were loaded and paid for, the two hands that came along to help went down to the crew's cabin to sleep.  
  
"Any problems, ladies?" Jack asked, grinning. His smirk made Rachel think about what he was doing in Tortuga that night besides chasing down rum and she had to look away.  
  
"Aye, Jonathon made some rude remarks 'bout us, and ye too in fact. No worries though, Rachel 'ere took care o' 'im," Ana said cheerfully, patting Rachel on the back.  
  
Jack looked mockingly scared. "Oh no, wha' did ye do to 'im?" he asked, looking at Rachel with wide eyes, making her laugh.  
  
"She jest shouted swears at 'im, scared 'im shitless. I'll tell ye though, if I was'n there I bet he would've met the rope's end,"  
  
"Rachel, honestly. Ye do'n 'ave to stick up fer me all th' time. 'Tis a tough job," Jack said jokingly.  
  
"I was pissed off. And he didn't just insult you... he insulted Gibbs too," she responded, grinning.  
  
Jack and Ana laughed. "Well, I'll be sure t' tell him ye stood up on 'is behalf. He'll be mighty touched by it." With that, the rest of the crew stumbling on deck, tired and feeling the last of the alcohol wearing off.  
  
"Get t' bed, ye scurvy dogs. If yer not ready by t'night t' set sail, I'll 'ave yer lights and livers!" Jack shouted, appearing tough but really giving the hard working crew a well earned break.  
  
Jack nodded to Rachel before heading down to the supply room to double check that he had everything he paid for and wasn't taken advantage of.  
  
"We'll be settin' sail a' sunset," he murmured in her ear before departing.  
  
Rachel turned to Anamaria.  
  
"This is going to be an interesting adventure." 


End file.
